Combined plunger and scrub brush

ABSTRACT

The combined plunger and scrub brush device comprises a hollow cylinder connected to a plunger with an elongate handle rod or shaft movably received in the hollow cylinder and having a scrub brush mounted to a lower end of the handle rod or shaft, the plunger cup having a closing flap connected by a living hinge to the plunger cup and positioned to cover a lower opening of the hollow cylinder when the scrub brush is moved from a lowered scrubbing position upwardly to a closed position in the hollow cylinder above the closing flap. The hollow cylinder mounts a locking ring having a protrusion extending radially inwardly therefrom for being received in a slot or in one of two notches or in a notch in a disk body fixed to the handle shaft for locking the handle shaft in a lower scrubbing position or in the retracted upper closed position.

1. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a combined plunger and scrub brush device wherein the scrub brush is movable on a rod or shaft past a hinged closing flap in a plunger cup from an extended position to a closed position into a hollow cylindrical body portion above the hinged closing flap which closes a central opening in the plunger below the hollow cylindrical body portion to provide an effective sealed plunger. The single piece device performs the function of a toilet plunger and a toilet scrubber. However the device is different from those presently in use in that this device combines both functions into one device. The handle can be rotated to lock and unlock the brush. The brush shaft can be extended or retracted to allow for use of the brush or plunger. At no time does the operator's hands need to touch any of the cleaning/plunger surfaces. When the scrubber brush is retracted it is completely concealed and can be locked in place in a separate compartment in the hollow cylindrical body portion in the plunger device. When the brush is extended it is of sufficient distance and can be locked in place from the plunger cup so as not to interfere with a cleaning operation

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Heretofore a number of combined plunger and scrub brush devices have been proposed. See the following prior art US Patents and published patent applications for examples of the previously proposed combined plunger and scrub brush devices.

US Patent or Patent Application No. Patentee 6,804,839 McMaster 7,299,519 Garry 7,430,779 Garry 7,752,684 Pieretti 2005/0125922 Szarawarski 2007/0240254 Moore

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to the present invention there is provided a combined plunger and scrub brush device comprising a hollow cylindrical body portion connected to a plunger with an elongate handle rod or shaft movably received in the hollow cylindrical body portion and having a scrub brush mounted to a lower end of the handle rod or shaft, the plunger cup having a closing flap connected by a living hinge to the plunger cup and positioned to cover a lower opening of the hollow cylindrical body portion when the scrub brush is moved from a lowered scrubbing position upwardly to a closed position in the hollow cylinder above the closing flap. The hollow cylindrical body portion mounts a locking ring having a protrusion extending radially inwardly therefrom for being received in a slot or in one of two notches or in a notch in a shaft assembly fixed to the handle for locking the handle shaft in a lower scrubbing position or in the retracted upper closed position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the combined plunger and scrub device of the present invention showing the scrub brush in a lower extended position.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 1 showing the scrub brush in a raised closed position.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the device shown in FIG. 1 showing the scrub brush in a lowered extended position for scrubbing.

FIG. 3 a is an enlarged sectional view of a middle portion of the device shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 b is an enlarged sectional view of an upper portion of the device shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 c is an enlarged sectional view of a lower portion of the device shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 is sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3 through a locking ring mounted around a plunger shaft.

FIG. 5 is a lower perspective view of the combined plunger and scrub brush.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1 in greater detail there is illustrated therein a combined plunger and scrub brush device 10 constructed according to the teachings of the present invention. The device 10 comprises a plunger cup 12 having a cup portion 14 and an upper hollow body portion 16 extending upwardly from the cup portion 14. An upper outer body tube 18 extends upwardly from an upper end 20 of the upper hollow body portion 16. A rod or shaft 22 extends upwardly into the plunger cup 14 and into the upper hollow body portion 16 and through the upper outer body tube 18 to a handle 24 connected to the upper end of the rod or shaft 22. Inside the plunger cup portion 14 is a closing flap 26 which is connected by a living hinge 28 to the plunger cup 14 adjacent a central opening 30 in the plunger cup portion 14 leading to the upper hollow body portion 16. As shown a cylindrically shaped brush 32 is attached to the lower end of the rod 22 between an upper hard metal material ring 34, FIG. 3, and a lower hard metal material cap 36, as shown in FIG. 3.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the brush 32 is retracted into the upper hollow body portion 16, the closing flap 26 seals the opening 30 to completely seal the plunger cup portion 14. At this stage a protrusion 38, FIG. 4 which extends the length of the outer body tube 18 and is used as a guide for the notch 44 and which extends radially inward from a locking guide ring 40 mounted within an upper end 42 of the outer body tube 18 locks into a notch 44 in a disk body 45 fixed to the rod 22 or into an axially extending slot in the disk body 45 fixed to the rod 22 for securing the brush 32 in a closed position. The disk body 45 on the rod or shaft 22 forming a shaft assembly.

A cap 46 is mounted on the top of the outer body tube 18 and provides a void space for the disk body 45 to turn in.

The locking guide ring 40 disk body 45 needs to be rotated directly or by rotating the handle 24 to lock the brush 32 in the closed position and prevent it from being extended.

When it is desired to extend the brush 32, the guide locking ring 40 disk body 45 is rotated to unlock the brush 32 or the handle 24 is rotated to rotate the notch 44 of the disk body 45 over the protrusion 38 of the outer body tube 18 into the notch 44 in the disk body 45 and the handle 24 is pushed downwardly to move the brush 32 past the closing of the opening 30 to a brush extended position show in FIG. 3. Here the guide locking ring 40 disk body 45 is rotated or the handle 24 is rotated to lock the protrusion 34 in an upper notch 44 in the disk body 45 fixed to the shaft or rod 22 or in an axially extending slot in the body 45 fixed to the shaft or rod 22. In this way the rod 22 is locked in a lowered position where the brush can be used for scrubbing without axial movement of same.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the combined plunger and brush device of the present invention have a number of advantages such as a completely closed plunger cup when the brush is retracted, a locked extended brush for scrubbing and a locked retracted brush to prevent accidental extension thereof. Accordingly the combined plunger and brush device of the present invention is only to be limited as necessitated by the accompanying claims. 

1. A combined plunger and scrub brush device comprising a hollow cylinder connected to a plunger cup with an elongate handle rod or shaft movably received in the hollow cylinder and having a scrub brush mounted to a lower end of the handle rod or shaft, said plunger cup having a closing flap connected by a living hinge to the plunger cup and positioned to cover a lower opening in the hollow cylindrical body portion when the scrub brush is moved from a lowered scrubbing position upwardly to a closed position in the hollow cylindrical body portion above the closing flap.
 2. The combined plunger and scrub brush device of claim 1 wherein said hollow cylindrical body portion mounts a locking ring having a protrusion extending radially inwardly therefrom for being received in a notch in or in an axially extending slot in a shaft assembly for locking the scrub brush in an upper retracted position.
 3. The combined plunger and scrub brush device of claim 1 wherein said hollow cylindrical body portion mounts a locking ring having a protrusion extending radially inwardly therefrom for being received in a notch in or an axially extending slot in a shaft assembly for locking the scrub brush in a lower scrubbing position.
 4. The combined plunger and scrub brush device of claim 1 wherein said scrub brush is releasably mounted to the lower end of said handle rod or shaft to facilitate replacement of said brush. 